Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which was signed into law by President Johnson on September 3, 1964. The act established the National Wilderness Preservation System, which today encompass 758 wilderness areas covering more than 109 million acres in 44 states and Puerto Rico. Together, they represent the largest, most highly protected body of wild lands in the country. Over 50 percent of the entire National Park System consists of congressionally designated wilderness. To commemorate this important anniversary, the NPS is hosting events. Joshua Tree National Park invites visitors to check out the “Finding Your Wild” interactive exhibit, where viewers can share their personal connections to wilderness via mounted notebooks and iPads. These entries can be shared, reviewed, and commented on by other visitors and responses will be used as content for an upcoming video podcast. For more on the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, visit www.wilderness50th.org.
